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Losing your phone when you’re travelling is no laughing matter. Being in an unfamiliar place without access to your important contacts, maps, and travel bookings can be scary and seriously derail your plans. Add to that the risk of your banking apps or other online accounts being compromised, and it’s easy to see how serious the problem is.
Knowing what to do if you find yourself in that situation can make a world of difference. Not only will it help you stay calm, but by taking the right steps early, you can deal with the problem more effectively and protect your personal information at the same time.
Try to Find Your Phone
First up, you need to make sure your phone is actually lost or stolen – and not just misplaced. Here are a few steps to take:
- Check if you left it somewhere and forgot, such as your bag, backpack, or even the pocket of a different pair of trousers you were wearing before you changed.
- Call your phone by borrowing a phone or asking someone to call it for you. If it’s nearby, you should hear it ring.
- Retrace your steps and think about where you last remember using it. Contact any businesses you recently visited to check if someone turned it in.
- Track your phone using Apple’s Find Devices or Find My app, or Google’s Find Hub. If the phone appears nearby – great, but if it is in an unfamiliar location, do not confront anyone and instead contact the authorities.
Hopefully, these steps will help you find your phone and put the ordeal behind you. But if they don’t, take further precautions.
Lock Your Phone and Secure its Data
If you can’t find your phone, your next priority is to protect its contents and prevent misuse. Start by locking your phone with Apple’s Lost Mode or Google’s Remote Lock. If possible, set it up with a message detailing a safe way for someone to contact you if they find your phone – without revealing any sensitive information.
While remote locking will protect most of your personal information, it’s best to take additional steps to secure your online accounts. In particular, you’ll want to change the passwords to your primary email account and revoke access to any paid or free password manager that you use.
If your phone has digital wallets or saved payment information, contact your bank. Ask if your accounts have been accessed, and request that the affected cards be monitored or frozen so they can’t be misused.
Suspend Your Carrier
Once your phone is locked and its data is secured, contact your mobile network provider and suspend your SIM card or eSIM. This will prevent unauthorised calls, messages, and mobile data usage – which is particularly important when you’re travelling and don’t want to get hit with unexpected roaming charges.
When you contact your network provider, explain that your phone has been lost and ask whether you can transfer your existing number to a new SIM or eSIM. It will make it easier to recover accounts that utilise text-message verification later on.
Some providers may also be able to block the phone itself via its IMEI number. If the phone has been stolen, this is a good idea and will prevent it from being used on participating networks.
Report the Loss to Local Police
Ask staff at your hotel or a nearby tourist information centre about the best way to make a police report. When you file the report, bring proper identification and provide as much information as possible, including the phone make, model, colour, and IMEI number. If you’ve tracked your phone and know its last known location, tell the police where it was.
Remember to request a physical or digital copy of the report, and check that it includes the case number and the officer’s badge details. Police reports are typically required for insurance claims and can also help with your mobile network provider.
Find a Temporary Replacement
Ideally, find a temporary replacement if you plan to keep travelling. Consider borrowing a device, getting an inexpensive local prepaid phone, or even renting a phone for a short time.
Another option is to use a laptop or tablet if you have one. Both are less convenient, but in a pinch, they can handle navigation, travel bookings, and communication.
If you’re worried about accessing them reliably on a temporary replacement, it may help to print hard copies of your tickets, travel bookings, and other important documents.
Don’t Let It Ruin Your Trip
Although losing your phone is definitely frustrating, try to deal with it calmly and not let it get in the way of enjoying your trip. Following these steps should help you handle most of the issues and potential risks that come with losing your phone, and once you’ve sorted everything out, just put it out of your mind and focus on having a good time.
Hopefully you never need any of this advice, but if you ever do lose your phone, at very least you should know exactly what you need to do to get ahead of things.
